South Dakota Accepting Applications for Trade Trip to Russia

The South Dakota Department of Agriculture is accepting applications from people interested in participating in a trade mission to Russia that will center on beef genetics.

State agriculture officials are encouraging beef producers and industry representatives to apply by July 14. The trip is tentatively planned for October.

Ty Eschenbaum with the state's Agriculture Department says this trip will demonstrate that the Northern Plains region is a top producer of high-quality beef genetics. Eschenbaum says Russian cattle breeders like the fact that cattle from the Northern Plains grow in a similar climate to their own.

Funding for the trade mission will be provided by the nonprofit U.S. Livestock Genetics Export.